Obviously. But the trick is getting local music to support itself.
There are, per capita, an astonishing number of bands and musicians here, and a massive amount of people who appear to care a great deal about both local music and live music. And yet, the more I’ve come to learn about the local music scene, the more I’m struck by how unaware of itself it really is.
There’s a massive, thriving metal scene here. There’s a significant singer/songwriter and acoustic folk scene. The local hip-hop scene is so obscured by (or perhaps from) the mainstream media that there’s no way to tell how big it is, although it may well be the biggest of all. There are plenty of indie-rock bands, alt-county groups, jambands and jazz collectives, all of them relevant and many of them quite good. And yet, even compared to Greenville’s not-exactly groundbreaking music scene, most of these performers are quite obscure.
Why is that? It’s not that there’s not the talent, and it’s not that there’s not the fans. So, what’s the problem? Why isn’t the Spartanburg music scene as known as it should be?
I’ve been thinking about that quite a lot over the last several months, usually on Fridays when I’m trying to figure out which local bands to cover for this column. And while I haven’t come to anything approaching firm conclusions, I have come up with some questions that I think might help give us some insight.
- Are the local venues actively promoting local bands enough? Are some local venues taking the easy way out by booking cover bands, rather than original acts? What could be done to encourage more original local music instead?
- Are some venues being too oppressive to the original acts they do promote? I’ve heard rumors that some local venues cut off “their” bands if they perform at another local venue, or threaten not to book them again if they mention their upcoming shows at other venues. Personally, I think that approach is poisonous to the venue and the band.
- What would it take to get the local venues to — if not actively support each other — at least work together on things that impact all of them? Yes, they’re competing for crowds, but I think that there’s enough of a potential audience in this town — particularly if you factor in the area colleges — that the local venues would have far more to gain by working together on some things than they’d lose.
- Are the local bands supporting each other? Is there enough show-trading happening?
- Why aren’t there more venues that book and promote local hip-hop?
- Who is actually promoting the music scene in town? Speaking broadly, I think that the local venues, the bands and the local media do a terrible job at this. Even finding comprehensive local music listings is a challenge. Is there a common-sense way to address this so that everyone benefits?
- What could the local media — including the Spark — do better to promote the local music scene, both for individual acts and as a scene?
- What would it take to create to bring all the local musical cliques together on the issues that they all share — promotion, booking, local resources — regardless of the genres they fall into?
I have more such questions, but that’s enough to start the conversation. What I’d like you to do isn’t just to answer these questions — although I encourage that — but to also riff on these questions, and ask your own in the comments.
Steve Shanafelt
Cover bands are big deals at certain venues. You’ll be hard pressed to find an original act at, say, Delaney’s. (of course, you can hardly ever hear them over the crowd anyway)
My experience is that most of the “venues” in town only cater to one specific category a piece. Ground Zero is the “metal” club, The Showroom is for WNCW Americana / neo-traditional, The Nu-Way is Marc Higgins + Shane Pruitt’s stomping ground, etc. etc.
Not a lot of show-trading happens that I’m aware of, but then that’s because there just aren’t that many venues that are available for a full-on noise assault; scratch that, there aren’t a whole lot of venues that branch out beyond one or two styles.
A question is have is what about the audience?
My main observation is that the majority of the show-going populace around town just can’t be bothered, apparently.
D-Hagz (and crew) put Burn Fest together with frightening speed and determination, yet the best he got was, what, about 160 people in two days? That’s horrible. Worse yet, that’s absolutely fucking pathetic, pardon the language.
The problem is, at least from what I see, that you book a show in Spartanburg and people are going to Charlotte, going to Greenville, or (and this is the tops) “ugh, I hate Ground Zero.” Yeah, that’s fair to your friends and neighbors who are trying to provide something for you to do on the weekend. That’s really appreciative of all the hard work. Thanks.
When I booked Real Live Tigers with Dustin and the Furniture at Ground Zero, maybe 20 people showed up. Same for Realicide (and that’s including all other bands). When I saw The Robot Ate Me there, only about 10 people stuck around to see him (two of whom drove 6 hours from TN).
Apparently hardly anyone went to see Napalm Death, and as far as I know, the Marduk / Mayhem (and others) show was dreadfully under-attended.
I will grant that Ground Zero does not do good promotion, especially outside of the front door. Sure, they may put up a couple fliers inside the club, but outside? in town?
That’s a dual-issue, which I’m willing to grant. The venues around town don’t do too much promotion outside of their front door and (perhaps) a show listing in The Link, or whatever the free city rag is now. BUT, for those of us who do flier and pass the word about town regarding shows, it’s pretty depressing to play to a near-empty venue.
UGH, sorry. You got me started.
Once again Mr. Shanafelt you really seem to be on the pulse of the things. For a long time I have offered ANY local musicians completely FREE recordings. I am probably not an amazing producer or recording engineer, but I do have access to equipment many are not as fortunate to have and also a lot of experience and knowledge I’ve accumulated recording my own music. I know what it’s like to have to record using a shitty half broken boom box, then overdubbing by using two broken boom box’s pointed at each other, so I really want to and try to help any bands or singers I can…
…But I can count the amount of people who’ve taken me up on the offer on one hand, and I don’t know why that is. For as long as I’ve been playing shows and recording music in Spartanburg I’ve only seen the “scene” to be a place where people constantly work against each other, even the venues work against the local scene.
Look at the showroom, a place we’ve played a few times. It’s got a great atmosphere, an amazing sound system and it’s right down town. 85% of the time they book out of town bands, and when they could really be booking national acts that are popular right now (fleet foxes, dan deacon, wavves, etc) I feel like most of the bands getting booked there only provide one type of experience, and that leaves a ton of music left to die in house shows. We’ve had some really successful shows there ourselves so I know for a fact the potential exists but something is holding the whole thing back from what it could be.
So I’ll reiterate for any local artists that might read this. I WANT to help you. I CARE about your art. I WILL do what I can if you contact me. If you need your first real gig I can find you one, if you want to record a demo I can do it and I will not charge you.
If the bands and artists were to come together I have no doubts that the music would thrive and the whole damn city would be better for it. We need a real positive scene where everyone plays in each other’s bands and everyone helps out and works together to CREATE.
Anyway, thanks again Mr. Shanafelt for caring about this sort of thing.
I’ve been writing and playing music in Spartanburg for 20 years. I’ve watched bands and clubs come and go and observed the music scene flourish and wither several times. I like that you’re asking questions like these and taking an interest in local music. Unfortunately I have no solid answers other than the fact that I don’t think the public supports “Local ORIGINAL music” so the clubs (other than the nuway or ground zero) won’t book an original band. So they book “cover” bands which I have no problem with because I also play in a cover band. Hey we all have to eat! lol! I think pretty much “all of the above” is what is wrong with our music scene! If that makes sense!
Keep the thoughts, gripes, insights and ideas coming. Just talking publicly about these issues is a solid first step in trying to address the problems and move beyond them.
I haven’t been in the circuit quite as long as Scoggin has (8 years approximately) but, I have played in several original bands and I have been booking and organizing shows since I was 15. I’ve seen potential in Spartanburg that is unrivaled in the southeast. Sadly, the talent and determination only comes in spurts, short-lived spurts. From time to time there will be zines, groups of bands that share shows and here and there fans will flock to see whatever may be hot at that time. Primarily this enthusiasm is among the teenagers of the area, then they get older, leave high school and go off to college or get a job in some bullshit factory and forget all about the music scene. It’s really discouraging to anyone that tries to build and maintain a scene in Spartanburg. Especially, if the people building that scene are attempting to go against the grain because the only place for real live, local and underground original music is Ground Zero. Not to low blow Ground Zero or anything, I’ve spent most of my young adult life in Ground Zero and beating a dead horse trying to get people to come out to shows. I can’t quite put my finger on the problem but I believe that it’s a mixture of band attitudes, the spectator’s willingness to leave their acquired comfort zone and the venues willingness to shove their establishment in the face of anyone and everyone (aka promote promote promote). Ground Zero should not be a place that is ignored by the major local media as it is and has been for so long. There’s some sort of aura about Ground Zero that drives people away. I don’t want to step on any toes or burn any bridges in Spartanburg, this is my home but, without a vigorous and militant movement towards a genuine and massive scene that harbors an eclectic mix of musicians, we will remain a desolate shit hole for music. Somehow, The Spark, myself, etc gets lumped in with some sort of pretentious and failing attempt at a scene. Well I would like to be the first to say that I am a pretentious asshole and I genuinely care about the Burg and it’s scene in all aspects. I am, and have been for years, willing to put a concentrated effort into bettering this place. Simply put, I need help and I need some fucking enthusiasm if it all possible. Spartanburg is slowly on it’s way back up as a staple of the southeast, no longer will we lie in the spotlight of Asheville, Charlotte, Atlanta, Columbia and Greenville. It’s going to take a group effort encompassing everyone that gives a shit. Stop relying on others to make things happen. Nothing will be accomplished if you expect someone else to do it. The local government isn’t putting a valiant effort forth. Local businesses (bars) only care about how many drinks they sell and with that being said (like Thomas mentioned) you can’t even hear the band over the loud mouths of the frat boys doing shots and playing darts by the door. Start throwing house shows again, my good friend Joe actually has a house show on July 5th, you can find out more at:
http://www.myspace.com/diystreetpunk77
Start throwing shows anywhere that you can. Support a friend’s band, pimp them out like the prettiest prostitute. Go to every show you can and start networking. That’s the foundation for something great. If we had only 10 people that were willing to do those few things, this town would drastically improve. Until then I will continue to find new things for Spartanburg to care about and I will continue to be discouraged over and over. Until everyone is set on improving Spartanburg, it will continue being the bullshit that it is.
Oh and I have an idea, maybe the Hub-Bub should start booking local bands and not let that stage go to waste for once a week shows featuring some corny Asheville act. Maybe they could start letting all of the people that have volunteered to help book, organize and run shows, do just that. Spartanburg doesn’t need another boutique, a chili-cheese a plenty hut, another paycheck advance loan blah blah blah, and we sure as hell don’t need another fucking art gallery. FIN.
“Spartanburg is slowly on it’s way back up as a staple of the southeast, no longer will we lie in the spotlight of Asheville, Charlotte, Atlanta, Columbia and Greenville.”
Just for perspective, ten years ago no one took Asheville’s music scene seriously, and the situation wasn’t all that different from Spartanburg’s today. When I started covering that scene professionally in 2000, very few people outside of the Asheville area knew the town even had much in the way of live music.
So, assuming there’s something to work with, it can change. It’s just a matter of figuring out what the problems are and coming up with some ways to address them.
“maybe the Hub-Bub should start booking local bands and not let that stage go to waste for once a week shows featuring some corny Asheville act. Maybe they could start letting all of the people that have volunteered to help book, organize and run shows, do just that.”
YES YES YES. I can not support the above statement enough.
Daniel, you know you only have to call on me for help.
It does not look like I am going anywhere any decade soon.
What does it cost to hold a show? I guess the electricity for the night?
Depends how big the act is, but you can give a cut of the door and keep bar for yourself. If the bar tab is big enough, give the whole door to the band(s).
HOUSE SHOWS, who wants to start doing these?
I ran two house venues in Rock Hill (2005-2006) and met a lot of great people and hosted a lot of great shows. I got back to Spartanburg and everyone looked at me like I was crazy. “A show at your house? Why would you do that?”
I love house shows we’d play them any day of the week, I can even host a few in Glendale.
I don’t mean this to sound shallow, but if the “scene” around here got a little more stable / reliable / viable / …ble, i’d be more willing to stay here after i get my undergrad degree.
It’s just aggravating having to leave town 98% of the time I have a show.
“I don’t mean this to sound shallow, but if the “scene†around here got a little more stable / reliable / viable / …ble, i’d be more willing to stay here after i get my undergrad degree.”
It’s not shallow at all. If Spartanburg can’t work this out, talented local musicians who want to make a go of it as a career will basically HAVE to leave. That drains the local talent pool. Take a look at a band like Belleville Outfit, which is mostly local but based in Austin, at that’s at least partially because the local — and even regional — scene can’t support them.
It’s that “brain drain” phenomenon. You have to give talented people a reason to stay and improve the city, rather than leaving to some place that actually offers them options. That’s true for the whole of the so-called “creative class” here in town, not just the music scene.
I do have a small suggestion for our venue calender. Right now we have a list of people who are appearing at different venues and times and dates, but unless I am missing something,the musical style is not listed. Of course I could be doing it wrong. Of course some locals already know what some venues play, but not all of us.
I asked someone the other day where one could find a place that offers live jazz. He told me either Greenville or Asheville. Surely not! But I just don’t know for sure. Can we improve on that?
Sylvie: You’ll be glad to hear that there’s a jazz bar going into the space where Interlude / Crossways was downtown. (If you don’t know where that was, it’s kind of underneath Lime Leaf, and sort of around the corner from Wild Wings, on the other side of the street.)
I guess I could start adding genres to the show listings. In some cases, though, it’s kind of hard to tell. Also, some musicians take their genre very seriously, and can get indignant if you list them as, say, “metal” when instead they believe themselves to be “hard rock.” (I used to handle the listings for an alt-weekly paper for a few years, so I guess I’m a little gun shy.) When possible, however, I’ll try to do that.
You really don’t need to do the genres though, anyone with ten minutes and a band’s myspace url can find out whether or not they want to go see the act.
yay. looking forward to the jazz bar. Will look for updates on that.
I’ve noticed all things mentioned, it’s one of the reasons I started a local venue resource page, but admittedly I’m damn slack about it, I don’t really have the means to do leg work to know the info to update the thing. So here’s a call for help for ya, take a look at these venue listings, tell me which venues I’m missing, what info needs to be updated, pleAse **
http://www.myspace.com/SpartanGigs
One thing I can add, it’s a tough town to promote a band in. The only place to really hand out fliers is music on main, but there are a few, but limited, other avenues of promotion. Yet, realize it takes time and consistency for a band to make a name for themselves, I’m talking years, and few bands hang in there that long, so that’s one big thing. Big expectations lead to disappointment, it’s all about baby steps folks. It’s not going to change overnight and without steady work.
I’m biding my time till I can get back out there myself. DUI’s have been my downfall, but I’m working on it. All I wanna do is play weird songs for cute girls for a living, is that so wrong?
I’ve been out of touch with the Spartanburg music scene for several years when I went away for school. In the 90′s when I was in high school it was all about going to see Albert Hill at Magnolia’s or Rumor Jenkins out at the Sycamore Tree.
It’s kind of hard to find a lot of information about any local music scene, although this blog seems to do a great job. My experience has been that even music fans around here don’t really know Spartanburg for its music scene and are more likely to associate a place like Austin, TX with having one than their own hometown.
I think it would be great if this blog or another did a sort of primer on this, sort of like a “Spartanburg Music Scene for Dummies”. Like a list of who the local bands are, a little info on each, what types of music they play, what venues are still even around town, etc. This would be really helpful.